Queen Diambi Kabatusuila arrives in Guwahati for Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics Forum

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 25, 2024

Queen Diambi Kabatusuila, the traditional ruler of the Bakwa Luntu people of Kasaï in the Democratic Republic of Congo, arrived in Guwahati on Sunday in preparation for the 12th edition of the Balipara Foundation’s Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics™ Forum, which will take place on November 26 and 27.

The queen is set to deliver a leadership address on the topic “Evangelising the Third Pole.”

Crowned in 2016, Queen Diambi Kabatusuila has gained recognition as Queen Mother of the Bantu People of Brazil and an honourary queen to the people of Brazil. Through her Elikia Hope Foundation, she has been instrumental in improving access to clean water, medical resources, and education for 40,000 children in Kinshasa.

Queen Diambi is also a passionate environmental advocate, focusing on the elimination of plastics and supporting the conservation of the Congo Basin’s rainforests. These forests, covering over 1.1 million square kilometres, are crucial to the global fight against climate change, as they remain one of the last ecosystems with a net sequestration of carbon.

Ranjit Barthakur, founder of the Balipara Foundation, emphasized the importance of bringing the Third Pole—a key region for biodiversity and climate stability—into the global conversation. He noted that the Congo’s rainforests play a pivotal role in global biodiversity and climate efforts, especially as other vital ecosystems like the Amazon face degradation due to wildfires and deforestation.

The forum’s focus this year is to strengthen ties with global communities, particularly those facing shared environmental struggles, like the Congo, whose rainforests are vital to the planet’s climate future.

She will be joining 80 leaders from 15 countries to discuss The Future of the Third Pole & the Eastern Himalayas exploring the need for urgent action on climate and action in the Third Pole for the future of climate systems and the lives, livelihoods and watersheds for billions across South and Southeast Asia, through its glaciers. The Forum will host insights from leading global voices on climate such as Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, Spencer Low, the Regional Sustainability Head of Google Asia Pacific in Singapore and Dia Mirza, UN Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). They will be joined by key leading figures from India’s corporate and environmental sectors such as Kaizad Bharucha, Deputy Managing Director – HDFC, Chanakya Chaudhury, VP – of Corporate Services at Tata Steel, Praveer Sinha, MD & CEO – Tata Power and Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General – The Energy & Resources Institute.

The 12th Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics™ Forum concludes with the Balipara Foundation Awards on 27th November, celebrating the success stories of 14 grassroots leaders in protecting and restoring the biocultural heritage of the Eastern Himalaya.